Inductive power transfer (IPT) systems are designed to wirelessly transfer charging power from a base pad to a vehicle pad. Such wireless power transfer is most efficient when the base pad and the vehicle pad are properly aligned with each other. However, conventional systems utilizing measurements or determinations of mutual coupling between a primary coupler in the base pad and a secondary coupler in the vehicle pad, or induced voltage or current in the secondary coupler only provide a scalar distance of misalignment at best. Thus, a user of the vehicle or an alignment system within the vehicle cannot know in which direction the secondary coupler is misaligned with respect to the primary coupler without more information.